Monday

Harvard, Nestle: the double helix....

photo by Jessie McClain

In a transcript from the 2006 SRI Forum in New York and London, Nestle of South America states that the DNA of their corporation is its commitment to corporate social responsibility. Thus, the Nestle double Helix is based on its long term commitment to corporate social responsibility. There is an interesting transcript of Nestle's SRI Forum at New York and London. They "present a case study performed by Foundation Strategy Group.

In this transcript we are introduced to the CEO of Nestle S.A., Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and their head of Public Affairs, Niels Christiansen. We also get an introduction to Professor Mark Kramer of Harvard University/Chairman of the Foundation Strategy Group. Nestle and the Foundation Strategy Group "developed" a report that went with Nestle's shareholders report. The Foundation Strategy Group wrote the report. Mark Kramer is also the founding director to Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism at Harvard. He has had articles published with the Boston Globe, the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Atlantic.

It's worthwhile reading to get an understanding how huge corporations view themselves and the world around them. At one point either the CEO of Nestle or the head of public affairs speaks about how Nestle works with some 280,00 farmers in Latin America and the statement is, "These milk farmers live exclusively on the relationship they have with us." Yes, I call that coporate social responsibility. One might view exclusive relationships as: a marriage, or a monopoly, or slavery. What you think is often dependent on your viewpoint...whether you are a have or have-not in this world. Certainly those farmers have "shared values" with Nestle. And when a learned professor from Harvard writes for Nestle to their shareholders, then who am I to question Nestle's DNA of corporate social responsibility. see: